McLaren 650S GT3 to be unveiled at 2014 Goodwod FoS?

2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed will begin on 26th June and vrooom through 29th. Commonly abbreviated as FoS, which ironically means Factor of Safety in engineering, Goodwood house in West Sussex, England will host one of the most spectacular events bringing together motorcycles and cars that have more than 100 years of racing history.

Major automakers and racing teams from all over the world participate in Festival of Speed to showcase capability of their race machines and also to unveil new cars for the first time. Beyond machines, legendary motor racing champions and current competitors can be seen showcasing their skills.

McLaren will be unveiling a new model for the first time at Goodwood FoS on 27th, Day 2 of FoS. Official teaser image suggests it will be the 650S GT3, not the P1 GTR. The 12C GT3 successor will compete in FIA GT1 and GT3 championships, with rivals from Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Aston Martin.

In addition, McLaren will bring former F1 World Champion (2009) Jenson Button to drive his 2011 McLaren Mercedes MP4-26 up the Goodwood hill. He will also drive the McLaren MP4/2 which Nikki Lauda took the chequered flag in 1984 F1. Emerson Fittipaldi will also make an appearance in his McLaren M23, the one he drove in 1974 F1 to win McLaren their first world title.

McLAREN AT GOODWOOD 2014
The arrival of summer in the UK means it’s Festival of Speed time again, and McLaren Automotive is gearing up for what promises to be another great weekend of cars and stars at Goodwood.

As an official partner of this world-famous annual event, McLaren will have a major presence in Lord March’s country park over the course of the weekend and will be following the Festivals theme of ‘Addicted to Winning’. We have something particularly special in store – for the first time, we will be unveiling a new model at the Festival as McLaren GT uncover their latest competition race car.

Our exhibition stand, which proved such a draw in 2013 as we showcased the then-new McLaren P1™, will once again be a key attraction of the weekend. We will be located to the right of Goodwood House this year, near the TAG Heuer Drivers’ Club Walkway, so it’s a great place to look out for famous faces. The McLaren 650S will be on display making its Festival of Speed debut having been revealed at the Geneva Motor show in March. The McLaren P1™ will also be present. The example featured will be a pre-production model codenamed ‘PP3′ which appeared on BBC Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson, who named it his ‘Car of the Year’ making it a winner in its own right and perhaps the most famous McLaren P1™ in the world. In addition to the cars on the stand, a selection of trophies and awards will be shown, many for the first time in public.

Away from the stand in the Supercar Paddock, a unique example of the 650S developed by McLaren Special Operations will be showcased alongside a second McLaren P1™. These cars will take part in the Supercar Run which, for the first time ever, will be timed up the famous Goodwood Hill. Whether the drivers will go for the time attack or stop along the way for some crowd-pleasing donuts remains to be seen.

Jenson Button, will be back in his 2011 McLaren Mercedes MP4-26, no doubt performing burnouts as he screams up the hill in this pre-turbo V8. The 2009 World Champion will also be stepping back in time to try the McLaren MP4/2, the car Prost and Lauda drove to a nail-biting finish in the 1984 Formula 1 world title (Lauda won by just half a point!). Another star of Formula 1 in attendance will be Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, he’ll be back in action in the McLaren M23, the car he drove to score McLaren’s very first Formula 1 world title in 1974. McLaren champions Senna and Prost will also be honoured – as the exclusive Festival Drivers’ Club is supported by our partner TAG Heuer, the Drivers’ Club Walkway will be lined with a collection of TAG era McLaren Formula 1 cars, plus examples of the striking 12C Sprint and 12C GT3 racers.

Life after college in 2014 has seen Ashwin Ram propel himself wholeheartedly into the auto industry. Information is never enough for this young blogger who enthusiastically ticks his elaborate checklist at each drive. The need to add that one extra detail ensures select articles that are upbeat, and comprehensive.